Fire-extinguishing apparatus.



No. 826,085.. PATENTED JULY 17, 1906.

G. E. BUELL.

FIRE BXTINGUISHING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11. 1898.

1n: minis PETERS :01, wnsymarou. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BUELL, OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL FIRE EXTINGUISHER CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COMPANY.

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

Fl RE-EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. BUR-LL, of North Plainfield, Somerset county, State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Automatic FireEXtinguishers, of which the following. is a specification.

My invention relates to the means or devices for holding the valve of an automatic fire-extinguisher closed and releasing the same when subjected to the requisite amount of heat.

My invention consists, primarily, in the combination, with the valve of an automatic fire-extinguisher, of a fusible fastening which comprises a lever member fusibly connected to the valve and adapted to fulcrum thereon and a post member arranged to bear on said lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve.

My invention further consists of combinations and subcombinations to be hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1is a vertical section of a sprinkler embodyingmy invention. and its securing parts, the valve, washers, and s ring being in section and the lever and post lEeing in perspective. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a sprinkler, illustrating a modification of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 illustrates a further modification of the lever and valve extension, shown in section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the cartridge as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is an enlargedperspective view of the valve extension, lever, and cartridge. Fig. 7 is a sectional view of a sprinkler illustrating a still further modification of my invention. Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of certain of the parts shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a partlysectional view of a modified form of valveholding post.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is shown a sprinkler A, with arms a a supporting a spreader S and a valve V closing the outlet n, that is norniallyheld to its seat by the fusible fastening which comprises the lever-like piece Z, having the part 3) adapted to rest in a groove g in the valve V, the end of the piece Z in bent form being soldered to the valve V at a5. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 11, 1893.

Fig. 2 is a detailed view of the valve Patented July 17, 1906.

Serial No. 666,342.

g post P is placed as a strut between the screw .9, running through the spreader S, and the bent piece Z restin in the groove g, which is on the short arm of the lever-like piece Z, and when the post P is forced down by screwpressure the valve is held to close the outlet n water-tight and the soldered piece or lever Z is adapted to suddenly give way and to tip up when heated and to let the post P fall away and release valve V.

To facilitate the discharge of the post P, a steel ball coated with solder or in any way protected from corrosion can be placed between the screw S and said post.

In the drawings the lever Zis shown as bearing on the valve at one side of the centerof said valve; but this is not essential, it being only important that the end of the post P should bear on said lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve, and this arrangement of the parts maybe secured, even with the lever bearing on the valve at the center thereof, bybeveling the end of the post, as shown in the drawings, or in any way that will bring the bearing 0 the post on the lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve.

A spring 8 can be employed in the structure to give a quick thrust to the released fastening, or the piece Z can be made to serve as a spring, being bent at a suitable angle before it is soldered to the valve and by being of elastic metal.

The valve V comprises the valve proper and disks d, d, and (i which may comprise an elasticity sufficient to give the desired thrust.

In Fig. 3 there is shown a cartridge O, inserted in a projection from the valve V, with the lever Z soldered to said projection at w and a groove g in the short arm of the lever Z to hold or receive the edge or beveled end of the post P. The cartridge G contains a charge of explosive f, a wad w, and a wooden plug w and when in position in the projection of the valve rests upon the sprinklerframe, so that if set off by heat it will tend to lift the valve by the engagement of the flange of the cartridge with the projection of the valve and discharge the movable parts of the sprinkler should they fail to be discharged when the melting-point of the solder has been reached. This form of fusible fastening is further shown in Fig. 7 applied to a sprinkler employing a spherical valve, which may be of glass, resting in a metal diaphragm and having a metal follower F as a cap over the valve. As shown in Fig. 8, the piece E is perforated to receive the valve V and is bent to rest upon the diaphragm at one terminal and to make contact with the lever Z at the other terminal, where it is fusibly united to said lever at 90.

As shown in Fig. 9, the post P is provided with a tubular portion P, in which the post P proper is inserted. Above the post P the tube P is filled with paraffin p f, and the heat of a fire expands the contents of the tube and generates a strain upon the assembled parts, resulting in a sudden breaking away of the fusible fastening when the melting-point of the solder has been reached. A spring (not shown) or a spring and paraflin can be inserted in the tube P. By means of the screw 8 the valve may be readily adjusted to its seat.

When the fusible solder uniting the lever Z to the valve becomes melted, the pressure on the valve will cause the lever to tip up, rupturing the solder-joint and dislodging the post P, the parts of the valve-holding device, as well as the valve, being discharged from the sprinkler.

The construction of the fusible fastening above described may be varied without departing from my invention. Thus the lever Z can be of double thickness at the point where post P rests upon it and can be joined I to the projection of the lever by a longer surface of contact between the soldered surfaces and by causing the solderto lie in two planes, as shown in Fig. 4. If desired, the lever may be secured to the projection from the valve by means of a solder-jointed link instead of being directly soldered thereto.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, in which an explosive cartridge is employed, the lever Z overlies the cartridge and serves to protect the same while affording ample ventilation therefor, which can be increased by perforating the lever or by cutting it narrow at the point over the cartridge, and, as before stated, the lever can be formed of spring metal and shaped to become a spring under the pressure of post P,whichwould tend to discharge post P at once and with a sudden thrust upon the tilting of the lever.

The cartridgeC is intended to have its open end sealed with paraffin after receiving the wooden plug w to exclude corroding vapors from its contents, while the shell of the cartridge is preferably of a not easily corrodible metal.

An advantage of connecting the lever member of the valve-holding device to the valve is that in forcing the valve to its seat by pressure on the post P the relation between the lever and the valve is maintained and the need of adjustability of the lever is avoided, said lever and the valve to which it is joined moving together.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An automatic sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet and a valve-holding device comprising two members, one of said members being fulcrumed on and fusibly connected to said valve, substantially as described.

2. An automatic sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet and a valve-holding device comprising a post and a lever, said lever being fusibly connected to said valve, substantially as described.

3. An automatic sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet and a valve-holding device comprising a post and a spring-lever, said lever being fusibly connected to said valve, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic fire-extinguisher the combination, with the valve, of a fusible fastening which comprises a lever member fusibly connected to the valve and adapted to fulcrum thereon, and a post member arranged to bear on said lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic fire-extinguisher the combination, with the valve, of a support for holding said valve closed, said support comprising two members, one a lever arranged to fulcrum on the valve and the other a post arranged to bear on said lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve, said lever being fusibly connected to the valve, substantially ,as described.

6. In an automatic fire-extinguisher the combination, with the valve, of a support for holding said valve closed, said support comprising two members, one a lever arranged to fulcrum on the valve and the other a post arranged to bear on the short arm of the lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve, said lever being fusibly connected to the valve, substantially as described.

7. In an automatic fire-extinguisher the combination, with the valve, of a support for holding said valve closed, said support comprising two members, one a lever arranged to fulcrum on the valve and other a post interposed between the lever and the frame of the sprinkler and arranged to bear on said lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve, said lever being fusibly connected to the valve, substantially as described.

8. In an automatic fire-extinguisher the combination, with the valve, of a support for holding said valve closed, said support comprising two members, one a lever arranged to fulcrum on the valve and fusibly connected thereto, and the other a post interposed between the lever and the frame of the sprinkler and arranged to bear on said lever at one side of the bearing of the lever on the valve, and an adjusting-screw arranged to force the valve to its seat, substantially as described.

9. In an automatic fire-extinguisher the combination, with the valve, of a support for holding said valve closed, said support comprising two members one a lever arranged to ulcrum on the valve and fusibly connected thereto and the other a post arranged to bear on said lever, said lever embodying a spring arranged to. act upon said post substantially as described.

10. An automatic sprinkler comprising a valve closing its outlet, a fusible fastening consisting of a lever-like member soldered to the valve and pivoted thereon and that lies at right angles to the waterway of the sprinkler, a strut for exerting pressure upon the leverlike member, and a third member, as a metal ball, for accelerating the discharge of the released strut, substantially as described.

11. In an automatic sprinkler a valve for closing its outlet, a lever-like member sol dered to the valve and pivoted on the valve, a strut for exerting pressure upon the valve, and means for accelerating the discharge of the released strut, substantially as described.

12. In an automatic sprinkler a thermallyremovable valve-holding device that comprises a pivoted member secured to the valve portion and pivoted thereon, and that is placed at right angles to the line of the waterway of said sprinkler, and that is located within the sprinkler to be sheltered by an arm thereof, and that is provided with a charge of explosive material adapted to generate a pressure against the valve-holding portion when acted upon by heat, and a strut supported by the said valve-holding device that includes an expanding member, substantially as described.

13. In an automatic sprinkler a thermallyremovable lever-like member soldered to the valve portion, and pivoted thereon, an explosive material located in the valve portion, and a strut supported by the lever-like member, substantially as described.

14. An automatic sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet, a fusible fastening comprising a lever-like member joined to said valve by a fusible material, and pivoted thereon, and means for exerting pressure between the sprinkler-frame and said pivoted lever-like member, substantially as described.

15. An automatic sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet, a lever-like member joined to the valve by a fusible solder and pivoted upon said valve, a thermally-expanded body in the structure adapted to generate pressure for forcing said valve from its seat when the sprinkler is subjected to abnormal heat, and means for exerting pressure between the sprinkler-frame and said pivoted member, substantially as described.

16. A sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet, a lever-like member pivoted upon said valve, and secured thereto by solder, a thermally-expanded material in the structure of the sprinkler that is adapted to exert a pressure for releasing the adhered valve from its seat by the action of abnormal temperatures, means for giving pressure between the sprinkler-frame and the pivoted lever-like member, and a detachably-secured member in the structure for accelerating the discharge of the released valve-holding parts, substantially as described.

17. A sprinkler having a valve closing its outlet, a fusibly-united valve and lever mechanism, the said lever being at right angles to the line of the waterway of said sprinkler and pivoted upon the said valve, adjustable means for exerting pressure between the sprinkler' frame and said pivoted lever, and a thermally-expanded material in the structure of the sprinkler for exerting pressure for releasing the adhered valve when the sprinkler is subjected to abnormal heat, substantially as described.

18. A sprinkler having a valve closing its for accelerating the discharge of the released parts, substantially as described.

19. As a new article of manufacture,. a fusible holding device for automatic sprinklers comprising a sprinkler-valve and a leverlike member pivoted thereon and joined thereto by a fusible material and adapted to be introduced into the sprinkler as a combined valve and fusible fastening, substantially as described.

20. In combination with an automatic sprinkler, a valve for closing the outlet of said sprinkler, a lever lying at right angles to the line of the waterway of the sprinkler that is pivoted upon said valve and joined thereto by a fusible material, and is located in the shelter of one of the arms of the sprinkler, and means for exerting pressure between the sprinkler-frame and the short arm of said lever, substantially as described.

21. A sprinkler having a valve closing a normally unobstructed outlet, a pivotal member joined to and movable with said valve, an adjustable member for forcing said valve to its seat that makes contact with said pivotal member on the short arm of the lever of said pivotal member.

ahle parts of the device when acted upon by 22. A sprinkler having a valve closing its heat.

outlet, a pivotal member resting on said valve and joined to the said valve by an easilyfusible solder, a member for forcing said valve 5 to its seat that rests upon the pivotal mem- I Witnesses:

CHARLES E. BUELL.

her, and an explosive charge in the structure A. C. BUELL, for generating a pressure against the remov WM. C. BUELL. 

